


And suddenly my heart began to race

by Ephemeral_Joy



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Alternate Universe - No Powers, Best Friends, F/M, First Kiss, Flirting, Fluff, Friendship, High School, Jealous Adrien Agreste, Movie Nerds, Oblivious Adrien Agreste, Post-Canon, Secret Crush
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-16
Updated: 2018-12-16
Packaged: 2019-09-19 21:55:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,228
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17009928
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ephemeral_Joy/pseuds/Ephemeral_Joy
Summary: It wasn't like he didn't know Marinette was amazing and pretty, but he just never thought it through.That is, until suddenly boys at the lycée are lining up to take Marinette on a date.(or: in which Adrien’s best girl friend gets boys lining up at the lycée and he feels something rather unplatonic.)





	And suddenly my heart began to race

**Author's Note:**

> I'm back with more fluff.  
> also what a suprise that my title is inspired by a song. ("Voodoo Doll" by 5SOS) 
> 
> edited/not beta'd

‘Hey Adrien,’ Marinette smiled, falling into step with him. Or at least, trying to. After his second (and hopefully final) growth spurt, he was now one of the tallest boys in the lycée at a 185 centimeter. Not like Marinette had much trouble though. This year she started wearing heels (he wouldn’t have noticed, if he was being honest, if only if he hadn’t heard the clicking of her black boots), making her eyes reach his chin. 

 

(It wasn’t like he stared at her for long periods of time… he just noticed.) 

 

‘Hey Mari,’ he greeted.

‘How was the - shoot!’, she exclaimed the latter. He rose one eyebrow, taken aback for a second. 

‘Uh, good? I mean, the photographer was little aggressive but-’ 

‘No! I mean - yes, but, I forgot I had a biology test today,’ her eyes were struck with terror, before groaning with annoyance, ‘my average is going to  _ sink _ .’

Adrien placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder, smile pulling on his lips. ‘You’ll be fine, Mari. I already have a solution.’

She looked up at him, blue met green. ‘Really?’

‘Yeah. You have a free second hour and bio fifth period right?’

‘Yeah.’

‘Perfect. I have a friend who’s great at bio and I think I can convince him to tutor you - you know Adam?’

Marinette tucked her chin in, unsure, ‘Isn’t he a little... ,’ 

‘Don’t worry, Marinette,’ his hand slid further to her shoulder, pulling her in his side, ‘your grades aren’t going to plummet.’

Marinette smiled gratefully, eyes crinkling, ‘Thank you.’

 

(It wasn’t like his heart stuttered or something at the sight of his sparkly-eyed girl best friend.)

 

Suddenly, cold air replaced Marinette as Mylène snatched her away. ‘Marinette, you will not believe what Ivan did last night!’

Adrien smiled as his friend disappeared into the crowd, eyes catching Adam immediately afterwards. 

‘Hey! Adam!’

*

**ADRIEN!!!**

 

**ALYA!!**

**something wrong?**

 

**how dare you take over my job of setting up M with cute guys?**

 

**what?**

 

**i mean**

**tbh thank u**

**because i have been wanting to go on double dates**

**but like you just stole one of my tasks**

 

**???**

**who did i set mari up with??**

 

**adam?**

**cute rugby player?**

 

**he’s tutoring her in bio**

**i didn’t set them up**

 

**lol**

**they look cozy**

*

Adrien lifted his eyes back to the board, trying to seem inconspicuous. A weird buzz burned his body as he thought about Alya’s words. Adam was introverted with people and aggressive on field, how in the world would he be flirting with Marinette?   
The boy sighed, staring at the teacher with mild disinterest. He honestly didn’t know why they had to learn more French at the lycée.    
Agitated, he stared at the clock. If he was fast enough, he could maybe catch a glance at them in the school library.

Adrien backtracked. Why was he even - - - ?

 

The bell rang. 

 

He flew upright, startling his deskmate as he snatched his leather jacket and dunked his binder and pen in his messenger bag. 

_ You’re acting ridiculous _ , his mind hissed. Marinette was a friend. A fun friend that you helped as a friend because she needed help and that was the friendly thing to do. 

Adrien reached the library, sneaking his head through the door. 

There they sat, seemingly finishing up their session. Marinette’s body was turned completely to face Adam, animatedly talking as the boy stared at her entranced. Adrien withheld a scoff,  _ of course he was _ . 

What are you doing?, his thoughts screamed at him, willing him to turn back before the duo saw him. But he remained frozen, legs paralysed. The sight of the two wasn't aesthetically unpleasing, and that angered him. 

Why was he angry though? Like Alya had said numerous times before, Marinette deserved someone. 

 

Just not  _ Adam _ . 

 

Marinette caught his gaze, blue eyes piercing through his green ones. He gulped. 

She glanced back at Adam, placing her hand on his lower arm as her lips formed the words “ _ Merci beaucoup _ !” Mari slung her backpack over one shoulder and approached him. The more distance Mari created between her and Adam, the less tense he felt.

Stop being such a protective friend, he scolded himself, she was allowed to talk to guys! 

‘Adrien! Adam was a lifesaver. It might not be an A, but I'll most likely pass!’, she beamed, holding her fist up in excitement for him to pounce. He laughed at her antics, saluting momentarily at Adam behind them who seemed to be sulking at the loss of Marinette. 

Adrien couldn't find it in his heart to feel bad. 

 

* * *

 

‘I wonder how they make it rain in these really big action scenes,’ Marinette mumbled, dunking a handful of popcorn in her mouth. Adrien glanced at her, the girl sunken into the couch with a large brown, fluffy blanket thrown over them. Her legs are drawn to her chest as her head leans in the direction of his. She looked adorable. 

 

Focus. 

 

‘Uh-’, absentmindedly, Adrien threw his hand over the back of the couch. I don’t know, maybe it’s partly CGI? Or they used miniatures?’

She made an understanding sound, shuffling her body. Suddenly, he felt her arm against his, and her cheekbone on his shoulder. Adrien froze momentarily. Marinette was an affectionate being, but it wasn’t like  _ that _ . There were hugs and kisses on cheeks when they went separate ways after going to a party, but cuddles were never part of the package.   
Hesitantly, he placed his arm over her shoulder instead of the couch, plucking at her sweater. 

She swatted his fingers, smiling. ‘Don’t ruin the sweater. I worked on that for a week.’   
Adrien smirked, raising his hand in surrender, ‘Sorry.’ It was a nice sweater though:  [ the pastel rainbow colours ](https://lucaandgrae.com/collections/sweaters-1/products/rainbow-stripe-classic-knit-sweater) suited her dark hair and light skin well. 

Feeling bold, he tugged her even closer, bodies glued together as she hung over his side. Trailing finger found a way around his waist. The boy sucked in a breath. 

This was normal. Some friends were just really affectionate with each other. 

‘This is nice,’ he looked down at her, seeing rosy cheeks as she said the three words. His heart stuttered in his throat. 

‘Yeah, it is.’

 

A moment of silence went through them as they focused on the movie (or well, Adrien was trying to, but he was hyper-aware of both their bodies every time she inhaled). He felt serene, in the living room on the Dupain-Cheng household. It was quiet, the rumble of cars lulling them into comfort. Adrien took a deep breath, placing his head on hers. He wasn’t thinking about whether this was normal to do or feel or behave he just liked it and it felt  _ right _ . 

Her phone lit up, making a bird sound. 

Marinette craned her neck, rolling her eyes with fondness as Alya’s name popped up. 

‘Sorry,’ she whispered, unraveling from their embrace as she leaned forward to grab her phone of the coffee table. He paused the movie.

Marinette unlocked her phone, turning slightly away from him. A second later she rolled her eyes, fingers tapping a short reply. 

 

‘Something wrong?’

 

‘No, just Alya being Alya again,’ Marinette said, smiling at her screen. She met his gaze, ‘She says she has found a boy for me.’

‘That’s,’ his voice came out an octave higher. He tried again.

Well, first he had to resist the urge to scream at Alya,  _ then  _ he tried again.

‘That’s good, right? Alya told me that she didn’t want you thirdwheeling anymore but bring an actual date.’

‘I feel like her parents have rubbed off on her and now she’s trying to arrange a marriage for me like they do in India,’ Marinette muttered, locking her phone and promptly placing it face down.

Why was he never an option though?, Adrien wondered. Alya never tried to pull some strings to get Adrien and Mari together. Was it because they were all best friends and if one would break up it’d be messy? He didn’t know, but then again, why  _ would  _ he want to know when Mari was just a friend.   

He pulled her closer again, not missing how the blush resurfaced. He decided she was prettier with flushy cheeks, and made a note to make her blush more often.

‘Movie?’, he asked. 

 

‘Yes. Where’s my popcorn?’

 

‘You sat on it.’

 

‘... Why am I like this.’     

 

* * *

 

‘Adrien!’

 

The boy in matter turned around, nearly knocking a girl over in the busy hallway as they all went to the cafeteria. His eyes searched the crowd, trying to find the one who shouted his name. 

 

He wasn't imagining things, now was he? 

 

‘Hey, Adrien!’, black hair with blue tips appeared in front of him, guitar case on his back.

Adrien smiled. Luka was one year older than him, his final year at the lycée, but a friend. They had a common music taste and circled around the same friend groups. Perhaps he was a little pretentious at times, but that didn't bother him. 

‘What's up, Luka?’

Luka fell in step with him, taking a moment to assess Adrien. He would be weirded out if that wasn't a usual occurrence for Luka. He was more of a reflective, introspective person, often scrutinising someone's face and body language. He observed. 

‘You're one of Marinette’s best friends, right?’

Adrien cocked his head, smile quirking at his lips. ‘Uh - yeah,’ he could even say she was his  _ best _ friend, better than Nino or Alya or Chloé. He could just… talk with her, about anything. About his fears of the future, about his suffocating dad, but also about her designs and bizarre dreams. From the ordinary to the extraordinary, it was easy.

They regularly took walks in the park nearby the lycée too. It started last year near the end of the school year when Mari hosted an impromptu picnic with snacks from 7/11 for all of her friends. Late in the evening, everyone had their own little group to hang with, and Mari and him had taken a walk and had a nice, deep talk about life. They've never stopped since then. 

 

‘You think she'd say yes if I asked her out?’

 

What? 

 

‘I didn't know you liked her,’ he said, indignified. It was not like he  _ should've _ known, but… 

But Adrien didn't know what to think.

Luka frowned, ‘Is this like a brother-protecting-a-sister kind of thing? You don't have to worry about that though.’

‘No, sorry,’ Adrien apologised, ‘it's just… Alya kind of set up Marinette with a guy so I’m not sure if this is the right time…’

_ What was he doing? _ Have Chloe’s tricks really manipulated him  _ that _ hard over the course of their childhood? Luka was probably even the guy Mari was talking about last weekend on the couch! The guy was allowed to ask her out! 

‘Oh,’ Luka’s shoulders dropped, in sync with the guilt dropping to the pit of Adrien’s stomach. ‘Uh, thanks for looking out for me, man.’

_ Say you were mistaken _ , his conscious demanded. 

‘Yeah, no problem.’

Luka nodded once more, before drifting off into the masses. Adrien was flustered: did he just ruin Marinette’s chances with a perfectly normal guy? That was very much unlike him. He should be supportive of his friends, just like Marinette would be if the roles were turned! What was wrong with him? 

Adrien sighed, taking a deep breath. Like Luka said, he was just being protective. Mari was an amazing girl that deserved the best, someone perfectly compatible to her.

 

Luka just wasn't it. 

*

**Adrien waht did you DO**

 

**idk Alya you tell me**

 

**WHY DID YOU SRAC LUKA WAY???** ****  
***SCARE** **  
** ****AWAY**

 

**Mari told me you set her up with a guy**

**so i told him that**

 

**adrien you were supposed to be the smart one of the group** **  
** **LUKA WAS THE GUY**

 

**oh**

**sorry**

 

**Luka was legit into her**

 

**can i do something??**

 

**nope**

**he’s wallowing in the music room**

**all the chords in minor key**

**poor guy**

**and i mean its not your fault**

**you were just looking out for M**

 

**i still feel shit though**

 

**don’t worry about it**

*****

‘Have you seen Luka? He texted me this morning and it seemed serious but now I can’t find him,’ Marinette approached him near the end of the day, worried frown etched in her forehead. She was twiddling with her phone, constantly glancing back and forth between him and the lit screen. 

‘He’s been acting really odd and now I can’t even find him! Did his band break up or something? Or is there something with his mum? Maybe Juleka’s in trouble!? Or what if-’

‘Marinette, breathe,’ Adrien placed his hands on her shoulders, willing her to calm down. The girl did this often, as a result of caring  _ too  _ much. She overanalysed everything that has happened and could happen which lead her down a spiral of doubt. The love she gave others was a virtue and a liability. 

‘He’s in the music room, M.’

Her head jerked up, writhing out of his grasp, ‘Really?’   
Adrien nodded, swallowing visibly. Why did he have a lump in his throat, face contorting as he tried to get over the image of Luka and Marinette together. 

Marinette exhaled relieved, ‘Thank you,’ and in the blink of an eye, her lips were at his cheek, gone a fraction later. Adrien blinked, overwhelmed by the flowery perfume she wore. 

 

He wanted to kiss her. 

 

But when he came back to his senses, Marinette was already speed walking down the corridor, turning left to the Arts wing. He scratched the back of his neck. 

Great, he thought, fucking great. Of course he found out he liked his best friend after she went off to find a guy that was aware of it earlier.

He turned around, walking to the parking lot where Gorilla was waiting. 

 

*

**Did you find Luka?**

 

**i did**

**i feel bad though**

 

**why?**

**is everything okay with him?**

 

**he told me he liked me**

**as in romantically**

**and i just feel so bad because he’s super nice but i don’t feel that way**

 

**its not your fault M**

**you can’t force yourself**

 

**i know…**

**idk. i hope we’ll remain friends**

 

**just give him some time**

**he’ll be okay**

 

* * *

 

Adrien didn’t know what to do with this newfound information. He liked Marinette.

 

(Hell, “liked”. He realised it was more than just “liked”.) 

He wanted to go to her home with the intention of cuddling with her, not watch a movie. He wanted to take her hands and lead it to his shoulders (he loved the feel of her nimble fingers). He wanted her. 

He just… Adrien groaned, pressing his fingers into his temples. Now that he knew, it was hard not to think about her every second during school. He wanted to text her in the morning and at night and wanted to sit next to her during lunch and touch her hair and simply be around her and it was the most frustrating he ever felt. (Even more when he was twelve and woke up with an interesting development under his belly button.) 

Adrien glanced at the large clock on the wall, anticipating the clock to strike four and he could get out of school. He had a spare and spent the last 50 minutes sitting in the student lounge mulling over his feelings. Three minutes to four, he suddenly heard two voices right outside, one quite familiar. 

 

‘So, what’ya say?’

‘Uh- I-I’m sorry but no… but uh, tha- thanks.’

‘So what was that act then?’

‘W-what act?’    


‘Is that how you treat nice guys? Flirt with them, lead them on and then throw us away?’

‘I wasn’t - - I wasn’t fl-flirting!’, she exclaimed with disbelief. ‘I just - can you not get so close, pl-please?’

 

Those words were enough for Adrien to stand up from his chair, taking resolute steps to the pair. 

‘Hey, Mari,’ he said, sweet but an edge in his tone. A warning. A red flag for the guy that was hitting on the girl Adrien loved.    
Adrien circled his arms around her from the back, placing a kiss at the corner of her mouth. His eyes met hers momentarily, hers blown up with surprise and a hint of amusement. He winked at her. She understood. 

‘Hey babe,’ Marinette replied, falling into his body as she embraced him. Adrien held her tighter. 

 

‘Bitch.’

 

Adrien was supposed to be the smart one of the group. But bottled up rage had to come out sometime. 

‘Hey!’, Adrien bellowed, letting go of Marinette, ‘Don’t say that to my girlfriend! Just don’t say that to any girl!’            

He was ready to pounce on the asshole, but before he could get his hands on him, a soft hand pulled him back. The “nice guy” grimaced and walked away.

 

The bell rang.

 

‘Thank you,’ Marinette whispered. Adrien turned back to her, gaze and stance softening as he met her eyes. 

‘Of course,’ he enveloped her in a hug, caressing her hair. Students hadn’t trickled out yet, but they would soon. He didn’t want their moment to end due to some kids. 

‘Did… did you mean it?’, her rosy cheeks were visible again, making him smile. Unaware, his thumbs slided over her cheeks, deepening the colour.

She didn’t need to explain her question. 

 

‘Yes… I do.’

 

Marinette’s eyes widened, a beautiful smile blossoming on her lips as her eyes crinkled with bliss. The blue in her eyes were never as bright as now. She giggled, and it was the prettiest sound he’d ever heard. 

‘Really?’, she grinned, tilting her head in an adorable manner. Adrien rolled his eyes playfully at her. 

‘Yes,’ his hands trailed down to her neck, ‘ _ really _ .’    

Before he could process it, her arms flung around his neck as she squealed. Adrien laughed, twirling her around. He couldn’t remember the last time he felt  _ this  _ happy.

‘So, does that mean I’m you girlfriend?’, she whispered in his ear. 

‘Only if you want to be.’

She pulled back, a smirk on her face. Adrien gulped: now that was a sexy sight.

‘Want to come over and watch a movie?

He had fencing lessons after school, and after dinner he was supposed to meet his personal trainer at the gym to start his workout schedule for Fashion Week. He had homework. 

 

‘Yes.’

 

‘Great,’ Mari smiled, taking his hand in one bold move and dragging him to the exit. Kids piled out of classrooms, surrounding them. The grin on his face wouldn’t leave until the next morning, he knew. 

They passed a small alcove where a drinking fountain stood. The impulsive idea formed in Adrien’s head in an instant and he pulled her back, swerving them in the alcove as he placed his hands on her hips. She flushed pink. 

‘And what do you think you’re doing?’

‘I actually aimed for the lips, but I just got the corner.’

Marinette’s smile widened. ‘Well then, what are you waiting fo-’

Adrien closed the gap, kissing his girlfriend full on the lips. Marinette was shocked for a moment, before her hands grazed his jaw and pulled him closer. She tasted like her lipgloss, fruity and sweet. His body tingled and burned and he just felt  _ warm _ . He loved kissing Mari. 

 

‘Get a room!’

 

The couple seperated, Marinette’s head ducking abashedly, Adrien saluting at the commentator. 

 

‘So,’ his fingers tapped her waist, ‘movie?’

 

‘Movie.’ 

**Author's Note:**

> You can talk to me about how cute they are on my tumblr: http://lydias--stiles.tumblr.com/


End file.
